Candy Crush: A Ham-Ham Adventure
by Andreille LeFlore
Summary: When Amaimon's sweet tooth manages to land him in a fuzzy situation, he decides to go on an adventure in search of the perfect candy. Too bad Assaiah has a way of making things more complicated than they should be.
1. Sweet and Sour

**Chapter One:**

**Sweet and Sour**

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><p><em>There<em>. In plain sight was the decorative glass dish of saltwater taffy, handmade and imported from the US. Amaimon stared at the rainbow of individually wrapped candies that taunted him from just out of his reach. Mephisto had made sure to place them in an area where the younger sibling would be incapable of reaching under normal circumstances, but it neither deterred nor unenthused the Earth King from attempting to get them. Amaimon's lazy gaze shifted around the headmaster's grand office for any sign of the demon before they settled on a high bookshelf before him, his prize sitting at the very top. He quickly pounced to his feet and made his way over, climbing up the shelves one by one.

Occasionally, his hand would nudge something valuable, a priceless figma or chibi idol, and he would pause to move it back into place. Amaimon knew the price of disturbing his elder brother's prized collection of anime memorabilia and merchandise. If even one manga volume seemed out of place, Mephisto would surely have his head. _Literally_. Just as he managed to reach the second to last shelf, he quickly reached upwards, attempting to snatch a few of the taffies from the dish, but a split second error in judgment sent a Hatsune Miku figurine plummeting to the floor. Time almost seemed to slow down as he watched Miku tumble to her doom with wide eyes. In a sudden instant, she was lying, murdered, upon the floor in several pieces and a shiver ran through Amaimon's spine as he altogether forgot about the delicious taffy above him. He sighed, defeated, as he released his hold on the high shelf and landed cleanly on his feet before the shattered mess in front of him.

"Ah. big brother will be upset with me." He chewed plaintively on his thumbnail as he stared down the tiny group of broken ceramic bits. Here and there her neon blue hair lied, while a black bit of her torso or stray appendage poked out from around the furniture nearby. He grumbled lightly, and crouched down to gather them before his brother returned. Unable to locate all the pieces, he eventually gave up, hiding the remains of the deceased vocaloid in a nearby urn.

It was but a mere thirty minutes later when the office door opened. Bright green eyes scanned the room not once, but twice as Mephisto entered the room and he paused only briefly when he noticed his younger brother sitting quietly in the far corner of the room. The two stared at each other for a bit before Mephisto placed his umbrella before himself, leaning against it with his usual cool and calm demeanor.

"Well now," he cooed, "it looks like you've been on your best behavior today! I'll have to reward you soon with some takoyaki." Amaimon's expression maintained its usual stoic appearance though the fact that his eyes seemed to light up at those words was undeniable. His happiness soon slipped away however when he noticed his brother's eyes slowly drift from him to the space between his desk and the large shelf. Though his smile never left him, Amaimon knew all too well he had noticed the absence of the figurine.

"Though, I am curious. Surely, you must have done _something_ while I was gone, hm, brother?" Amaimon's head twisted quickly, never taking his eyes off him.

"No, brother, I haven't done anything today."

"Is that so? Then enlighten me, Amaimon. Does anything seem…amiss to you here?"

"Amiss? What do you mean?" He continued to feign ignorance of the situation.

"There's nothing out of place? Why, you must have spotted it!" Mephisto's cool and collected smile had widened out into a vicious sharp toothed grin, his eyes having darted back towards the young Earth King. Amaimon felt himself shiver slightly at his expression and silently hoped his brother hadn't noticed it.

"_Where's Hatsune Miku?!_" He hissed, his eyes narrowing to dangerous slits as he turned to face his brother completely again.

"I-I don't know, brother. Maybe she was misplaced—"

In a flash, Mephisto's umbrella swung quickly to the side and returned, sending a tiny arm shooting out of nowhere, barreling across the oriental rug, and bouncing to a stop between them. It was a missing piece of the figurine Amaimon had missed in his quest to rid himself of the evidence.

"Bah! Don't pretend you can lie to me, Amaimon! I know you've been on my shelf! And after I expressly forbade you touch my things!"

"B-But, brother! I only wanted the can—" Amaimon froze, quickly covering his mouth with a clawed hand. Not only had he let one cat out of the bag, but another one as well. He knew he wasn't to touch Mephisto's toys without permission, but he had also been told not to eat the candy as well. Several attempts to taste test the saltwater taffy were the reasons for the glass dish being placed well out of his reach in the first place. His eyes slowly traveled down and away from his brother's darkening gaze, and his hand remained where it was, muffling his further words.

"I am absolutely ashamed of you, brother; And here I was, thinking you had managed not to cross me for once."

"But brother! It was a mistake. I didn't mean to…" Mephisto ignored his plea as he took a seat behind his desk with a sigh. He crossed one leg over the other, leaning back in his chair. His eyes closed, contemplating Amaimon's punishment.

"You owe me a new figurine, you know."

"I know, brother. I'll get another one really soon."

"I still have to punish you though. Things like this simply cannot be allowed to go unpunished!" While the thought of a punishment made Amaimon's stomach churn, the sound of his brother's voice was much less threatening than it had been before. He had regained some of his usual cheer and Amaimon allowed himself to relax slightly, hoping whatever punishment his brother chose wouldn't be too painful for him. His arm fell limply to his side as he got to his feet, turning to face his older brother.

"You'll be in the cage. For one week," he chimed, offering his brother a compassionate wink. Amaimon merely blinked at his brother's display, though internally he felt an immense relief at his final judgment.

"Any last words?"

"Sorry, big brother, it won't happen again."


	2. Lemon Demon

**Chapter Two:**

**Lemon Demon**

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><p>"Eins, Zwei, Drei!"<p>

Taking the form of a hamster was something he was quite used to. Like his brother, it was a convenient way to get around without arousing suspicion towards his demonic nature, though it was highly troublesome for everything else. Amaimon had only recently had his body returned to him after his brother had deemed him well-behaved enough to go and explore on his own in his true form. The idea of having to change back against his will for a second time made him more than upset, but he felt it was a great deal more pleasurable than being tortured or eviscerated.

In a great puff of smoke and a snap of Mephisto's fingers, the once lithe demon was transformed into a miniscule hamster, his signature tuft of hair still present on top of his furry head. Amaimon quickly got to his hind legs, looking expectantly at his brother. Mephisto merely smiled at the sight, his expression betraying nothing.

"Now, the longer you behave, the quicker the sentence will pass, is that clear?"

"Yes, brother!" Amaimon darted across the rug and onto the desk where he quickly hopped into the hamster wheel, steadying himself. He maintained his momentum, pushing the wheel along and broke into a scurrying run, finding the action to be very fun.

Fun was something Amaimon lacked. Mephisto knew this all too well. Yet, were the Earth King to have more fun, things like True Cross Academy would constantly be in a state of repair. While Mephisto knew that many of the things that occurred on school grounds weren't always the fault of his brother's lacking attention span, it certainly didn't benefit from Amaimon's constantly changing whims to explore.

He closed his eyes, remembering a time when a scavenger hunt gone awry ended up in thousands of dollars of damages to a local group of independent shops. Amaimon had been sent to find some rather obscure items, but the idea of getting to explore the previously unexplored was too interesting to pass up. Of course, in no time at all, the thrill of challenging the local fauna got the better of him. Mephisto sighed, opening one eye to watch the little hamster of a sibling run at top speed in his wheel. He was staring straight ahead, his mind on his nonexistent goal. Mephisto leaned forward, resting against the desk as he watched Amaimon silently over steepled fingers.

"Enjoying yourself there, dear brother?"

"Yes! This is fun!"

"I see," he closed his eyes again. "You enjoy running around looking for things to destroy, don't you?" He chuckled, leaning in a bit closer. "Sometimes I wonder what I should do with you. You're such a little trouble maker! I often think my town would be in ruins if I let you go so easily. It really is _such a shame_ that you have to be locked up here like this. If only you had a little bit of room to find yourself." Mephisto's lopsided grin allowed a fang to poke through as he continued to watch his brother run.

Amaimon only barely registered the words coming out of his big brother's mouth and interpreted them as signs he'd be getting a bigger cage. He quickly stopped to look at his brother, realizing only too late the consequences of his actions, and he became caught up in the momentum of his still spinning wheel, turning and turning until the sheer force of its spin sent him falling flat to the bottom.

He squeaked weakly as it finally slowed to a stop and rolled out of the hamster wheel before immediately scurrying past it to face his brother in excitement.

"Does this mean I'm getting a new cage? Does this mean I'm getting new toys, too?!"

"Hmm, something like that, yes!"

"Yay!" He cheered, hopping up and down on his tiny little paws. Mephisto sighed, his smile taming slightly and he placed a cupped hand onto the desk for his brother to crawl into. Amaimon quickly hopped on, scurrying up his arm rather than staying in his palm and took his rightful place by his brother's side. It was almost an honor to be allowed to perch on Mephisto's shoulder like that, surveying the little kingdom his brother took so much pride in. He never could understand his brother's love of Assaiah, but it never stopped him from taking it all in. Mephisto's eyes traveled up to look at the little hamster and he straightened his posture once more, leaning back in his chair.

"For now, however, you're to be on your best behavior. Step out of line, and I'll be extending your _little_ punishment," he put emphasis on the little. "Make sure you remember that. I won't have a repeat of last time." Mephisto stood, picking up his top hat and placed it gingerly on his head, quite pleased with his appearance.

"I won't forget this time, brother!" He peered over Mephisto's shoulder, watching as he stepped through the door and into the magically connected office of the academy. Mephisto stared at the annoyed expression of his brother, standing impatiently before the two, his tail twisting violently.

"Where the hell have you been?! Don't you know how long I've been standing here?!"

"My, my, what brings you to my office so early in the morning?" He held out his arm towards the desk, Amaimon speeding down it and onto the wooden surface where he immediately allowed himself into the small metal cage. He quickly closed and locked the door, sitting quietly in the middle of his little prison, looking between the two demon brothers innocently.

Rin watched the hamster with both suspicion and amazement, a small "Whoa" escaping him. It took him no time at all to forget the demon rodent and his anger was once more focused on the headmaster.

"Oh, I don't know! Could it be the fact the classroom is locked?! I actually woke up on time today by some miracle and the stupid class isn't even meeting?! Why didn't anyone tell me, and where the hell is Yukio anyway?! Why am I…"

Amaimon sat, watching his younger half sibling continue to rant while Mephisto merely smiled, amused at Rin's suffering. When a sudden shadow loomed overhead, he darted to the far corner of his cage only to see Mephisto's arm come to a rest on it. He patted the top of the bars rhythmically as he waited for Rin to give in.

"Are we done?" Rin had finally ended his tirade, looking as though he had just completed a difficult battle.

"Y-Yeah, but that doesn't me—"

"Ah, ah," Mephisto wagged a finger at him tauntingly. "If you had read the amended syllabus, you would have seen that there would be no classes today. As for Mr. Okumura, he's away on a special job. I hope that answers all your questions!" He finished his explanation cheerfully, his grin growing at the sight of Rin's disbelief.

"Wait, what?! Amended syllabus?! When'd that happen?! Do I even have one of those?" He flung his sword and backpack from his shoulders before diving into it, pulling out a number of crumpled papers that he skimmed feverishly, looking for any sign of the amended syllabus.

Mephisto watched Rin stew in his suffering, taking the temporary moment of silence to sit down behind his desk. The school's office was an almost mirror image of his home office save for some minor details. Student's like Rin were far too reckless to leave valuable items like his memorabilia out for all to see, and only the bare minimum decorated the tables, Mephisto changing things up now and then according to his mood. He rested his head in a hand with a smile as Rin casually threw homework sheets to the floor in an attempt to locate the syllabus that he could only pray actually existed.

At the very back of a very tattered and very drooled on notebook was the syllabus and he glared down at the words "No class" printed in red ink. He sunk to his knees depressingly, hanging his head in defeat. "This must have been what Yukio handed out last week. Dammit." After a few more seconds of sulking, he began shoving the mess of homework and notes into his backpack again, pulling it over his shoulder. His expression had lightened considerably as he got back to his feet, replaced by a more determined smile.

"Thanks anyway. Guess I'm going back home and getting some sleep," he sighed turning back for the door.

"What's your hurry? Since you have all that free time on your hands, perhaps you'd like to do some odd jobs for me."

"No way! All your _odd jobs_ are either too stupid or too much trouble. You can't trick me into washing your windows again, you clown!" He quickly darted for the door, slamming it behind him. Mephisto's smile was genuine, finding his brother's simple-mindedness to be of the utmost hilarity.

Amaimon blinked, his ears ringing from the sudden silence and he watched the door a bit before looking up at his brother.

"Brother? How long do you think it'll take him before he realizes he's left the demon sword behind?"

"I think he'll walk right back through that door right about," he paused, confident in his timing. "_now_."

The door swung open with such force it threatened to come clean off its hinges as Rin rushed back into the office, snatching up the sword with an embarrassed whine.

"Don't think this changes anything!" With that he ran back out, slamming the door shut behind him a second time. Mephisto sighed, attempting to hold back a laugh before he noticed the shape of a small box on the floor in front of his desk.

"And what's this?" Before he could leave his chair, the door of the hamster cage had been flung open and Amaimon dove to the floor to examine the rare drop. He scurried up to the box, turning it over until it was right side up. A rather comical chibi lemon danced on the cover of the red and white candy box, its expression one of surprise and delight.

"Explosively sour flavor in every drop," Amaimon read the words slowly before looking up at Mephisto for permission. "They're lemon bombs! Can I eat them? Can I, please, brother?"

"Oh, why not? Knowing Rin, he'll never even notice they're gone for another week."


	3. Catnip Tea

**Chapter 3:**

**Catnip Tea**

Amaimon sat on the floor, nibbling happily on the sour candy in his tiny paws. It was indeed explosively sour, but to the little earth demon, it was hardly a problem to consume. He continued squeezing into the half empty box, pulling out a drop of candy one at a time until, after he had gotten well into the motions, the sudden assault of a fountain pen came crashing down on his head. He was struck senseless, falling over onto his back like a dead bug. Hovering over him was the annoyed face of the time demon, his arms folded over each other on the desk.

"Need I remind you, Amaimon, this isn't a lunch break, it's a punishment. Return to your cage."

"Just a little longer. There's only three left." Before he could push his way back into the box, he was lifted unceremoniously up from the floor. The scenery became that of a hellish prison cage made entirely of bars and a freshly filled water dispenser that hung next to his wheel. His beady eyes affixed to the bottle as Mephisto locked the cage in his wake, and the sudden nature of his aching tongue dawned on him Amaimon quickly scrambling over to take a long drink of water.

Mephisto sighed, sitting back down in his chair and he watched his younger brother quench his thirst until the bottle was surprisingly half empty. He balked at just how much water Amaimon had managed to drink in one sitting and frowned, realizing he would need to refill it soon. Perhaps that would be useful to him. His sly smile grew as he put a hand to his chin in thought.

"On second thought," he paused as he got to his feet. "Why don't you finish these up?"

"Really, brother?!" Amaimon's attention returned to his brother, hopping up and down excitedly at the news.

Mephisto rounded the desk, picking up the now tattered box and carefully procured one of the remaining lemon drops from inside. He smiled, bemused, as he dropped the little hard candy between the bars and watched as Amaimon caught it with ease, nibbling on it to his heart's content. Indeed, with the speed at which Amaimon ate, the candy was soon gone and Mephisto dropped the second to last candy inside where it landed with a clatter in the center of the cage. With a squeak, he rushed forward, grabbing it up and continued his assault. Unbeknownst to the Earth King, his elder brother smiled with an unordinary amount of wickedness as he watched him devour the candy only to be pelted with the final piece. He crumpled the then empty box up, tossing it nonchalantly over his shoulder and into the trash bin next to his desk where it landed inside perfectly. Soon enough, Amaimon was lying on his back once more, huffing and puffing from his full belly. In no time at all, he scrambled to his feet, attacking the water dispenser for the last of its contents.

"Aaaaaaaaaaah. It's empty."

"Oh, dear me! You seemed to have worked up quite the thirst. Mind if I borrow this?" Mephisto unlocked the cage and reached inside, sliding the bottle loose. "Don't worry, I promise to bring it right back. It'll be filled to the brim!" He let loose a mischievous laugh as he closed the cage door and exited his office, giving Amaimon a final farewell and departed.

The time passed as Amaimon stood in silence in his little cage, staring ahead blankly at the wall. It had been a long while since he had moved and a random glance at the clock revealed that a few hours had passed since his brother's departure. Amaimon finally moved from his spot to look out the great office windows down onto the True Cross campus. The sun was at its highest and the first vestiges of day class students were beginning to appear. Students were milling about, to and fro, as both exorcists and exwires gathered to their respective classes. He sighed, realizing the eccentric headmaster had become involved in something else and began to grow tired as well as bored.

Boredom killed.

It was inevitable. Whenever the Earth King had become bored, terror and destruction followed in his wake. He would rather be entertained with something new and exciting rather than sitting in his cage all night. Even his favorite hamster wheel posed no interest to him and he sighed a second time before deciding to make his escape.

Mephisto's hamster cage was no ordinary pet prison but a prison made specifically for beings of Gehenna. Squeezing through the bars would be useless as would chewing through them, for the steel this cage was constructed of was near indestructible even for a demon. He was no mere lower class demon though and he challenged the cage, launching himself against it with whatever force he could muster. It did nothing more than toss the cage around on the surface of the desk and with one last bit of effort, he finally dashed forward, ramming the door.

He'd done it! He was both enthralled and surprised as he went sailing through the air and hurtling towards the hardwood floor. It all happened so fast that he curled instinctively into a ball before bouncing to an eventual stop. When his stomach ceased turning and the room stopped spinning, he uncurled, looking up at his surroundings.

Despite how high he felt he had fallen from, he was no more than a few feet away from the large office desk and he surveyed his surroundings just as he had done earlier that day for any sign of his brother. A final glance at the cage door confirmed his suspicions: Mephisto had left it unlocked. He was used to his brother's coy jokes and tricks and accepted it as something the demon king cooked up for his own amusement. Amaimon wondered just how amusing things would be when he discovered he was no longer present and he willed himself to get back at the headmaster when he returned. For the time being, he was determined to find some food and some entertainment.

Amaimon squeezed underneath the office door, surveying the hallway ahead and rushed forward in his search for food. Several maze-like hallways later, and he still had made no progress finding his way around. He thought about things a bit, stopping to gather his thoughts. He knew the campus well, having toured it several times over with is big brother. He sighed, releasing his tension and moved on.

Checking that the coast was clear he scurried down the banisters, hiding behind the posts as students passed and he waited until further openings presented themselves before moving ahead. Soon, he was on the first floor where dozens of pairs of feet shuffled past him like clumsy ogres searching for a fresh kill. He steeled himself before charging into the oncoming traffic, darting back and forth between legs and sneakers before he made it across to the other side. Amaimon silently congratulated himself before he scuttled along with the crowd, sticking close to the walls. By some miracle he ended up in the cafeteria, the smell of many kinds of foods catching his nose. Oh, how he wanted to savor all the different flavors he smelled. All he needed to do was—

It was useless. His powers were suitably drained from him, ensuring he would not be able to change back of his own volition and he pouted internally at the thought he wouldn't be able to eat all he wanted. Perhaps if he had some nourishment, he would be able to at least replenish some of his energy and regain his more human form. Yes. That was a perfectly reasonable plan. Now all he needed to do was….

Kuroneko made his rounds around the cafeteria, attending to his usual duty of snatching up fallen morsels from unsuspecting student's plates. It was the only source of entertainment the demon had while Rin was away for day class. Much to his chagrin, no one seemed to have dropped anything and the black cat whined at his growling stomach. He'd definitely rip Rin a new one when he got back.

Then he saw it: live prey.

Amaimon's tiny legs kicked as he tried and failed to climb up one of the cafeteria tables only to fall and roll haphazardly to the floor.

It had been hundreds of years since Kuro had been called upon to get rid of a rodent infestation and the memory of the hunt was enough to get him back into the game. Surely if Rin saw how useful he was outside of battle, there would be no way he could resist giving him a second helping of food to congratulate his hard work.

That was all the push he needed.

Kuroneko hissed at the demon rodent, his back arched and his fur on end as he attempted to threaten the furry creature into submission. He gave the attempt several tries, garnering the attention of several shocked students in the process. Amaimon watched the cait sidh with interest, obviously curious about its nature and allowed Kuro to press forward without a single reaction.

Kuro had expected the little demon to flinch and turn away in an attempt to escape but grumbled exasperatedly at the hamster's lack of a response and gave up, collapsing onto his stomach, tucking his paws neatly underneath himself. His eyes lidded with annoyance, the two then mere inches from each other.

_"Tryin' to be brave, huh?"_

""I'm just trying to find something to eat. I'm hungry."

_"Huh? You can talk?"_

"Yes," he replied simply before turning away again to search for a new way up.

_"Don't act so big! You're not that tough! I can take you out with one paw!"_

"So?"

_"So?! Don't you know who I am?"_

Kuro poked at the little hamster with a paw, astonished by its lack of fear. Amaimon didn't budge as he was patted down by the cat and simply sat, staring at the beast.

_"Well, aren't you gonna run?"_

"Why would I do that?"

_"Because I'm cat, duh! It's my job to get rid of pesky rodents like you, so you better watch out!"_ Kuro puffed out his chest proudly, a determined grin on his face to match even Rin's.

"Oh, I see! Cat and mouse. It's a game, right? I love games! I'll play with you, then." He stood as high as his stubby body would allow him before taunting the demon cat, "Nah, nah, can't catch me!" Amaimon then took off at high speed, darting between an oncoming crowd of students and leaving the cait sidh in his wake.

_"Huh?! Hey! Wait up!"_

Despite his lack of knowledge at the room's layout, Amaimon found incredible ease in his navigation of the cafeteria. Due to health regulations, his brother had refused to bring him along and he often spent time wondering what kind of new and unique flavors lied within. Now that he had finally gotten to see the place for what it was, he instead found himself being entertained by a demon cat. Despite his hunger, his need for excitement was finally being sated and he forgot all about his attempts to steal a meal.

The sound of screams and yells rang out all across the cafeteria as students jumped up and out of the way of the two demons, sending food and dishes flying across the room. Kuro looked at the chaos around him oblivious to the fact that he and his prey were the origin of it.

_"Aw man!"_ A plate of octopus flew through the air as a terrified school girl jumped into her chair to escape the little hamster that ran past. _"I coulda ate that!"_

However, as Kuro took a long dive for the little demon that was mere inches away, his face was met with the hot rebuff of spilled tea, the cup landing squarely on his head. He slid to a stop with a distressed yowl as he attempted to rid himself of the obstruction to his vision. Several curious students crowded around to examine the cait sidh who appeared to be nothing more than a normal black cat, many, young girls who wanted to pet and hug the little demon. As the cup was removed from his wet fur and his vision restored, he stared with wide eyes as his prey and playmate stared at him from just in front of the cafeteria doors.

"Looks like I win. That wasn't very fun though. We should play a different game some other time." With that, Amaimon escaped out of the cafeteria doors and down an opposite hallway until he found a doorway leading outside to the campus.

_"W-Wait! Don't leave me like this! These girls are too rough, and they brush my fur the wrong way!"_ Kuro whined, attempting to wiggle out of their grip, but his struggle was in vain and he gave up, allowing the group of girls to carry him off to be bathed.

As the Earth King vaulted down the steps, he was met with the nagging sensation that he was being followed, and before he could stop to survey his surroundings, he froze as his world suddenly went black.

"Gotcha!"


	4. Nightmare Fuel

Anxiety. That's why I disappeared. I'm feeling up to updating this now, so I'll hop back on the workhorse. Sorry about that. For your trouble, here's an extra long chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

**Nightmare Fuel**

Just as Amaimon was about to clear the area, he suddenly found himself trapped as a great dome engulfed him in complete darkness, rendering him blind.

"Did you see that? I got him!"

"Why is it just running around like that?"

"The headmaster's gonna be pissed!"

Several more voices joined the cacophony and in a sudden flash of blinding light, the prison of darkness was removed only to be replaced by the firm grip of a hand. He was hoisted impetuously from the ground, surrounded by the curious and amused faces of several True Cross students as they peered down at him from above. Amaimon scoffed, the sound seeming more like a tiny sneeze than a gesture of condescension, and a chorus of ooh's and aw's soon followed. He hated being looked down upon, and even more so by a flock of weak little children; He resigned, however, remembering the very real threat of what killing them would bring. Amaimon squeaked in surprise as a finger came down upon his furry head, teasing the tiny lock of fur that stood stick straight upon it.

"He's so cute! Maybe we should return him..."

"It's obvious why he's out here! He was trying to escape! Maybe we should help him!"

"No, don't! We'll get in trouble! Maybe even expelled!" A hand suddenly shot out of nowhere and he was flung upwards as his captor attempted to dodge. Amaimon took this opportunity of weakness to make his escape and easily wiggled out of the hand, eliciting a rather feminine shriek from an obviously male student. He quickly scrambled down his sleeve and leaped to the ground, continuing his journey...

...into the hands of a girl.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Amaimon had been certain he had lost his captors in the crowd and was home free, but hadn't been prepared for the second trap he would fall in. He froze briefly as her hands closed around him, and he began squirming about in an attempt to escape. Oh, how he wished he could change back right about now

A hazel eye and messy bangs appeared between the gaps in her fingers and he stared up at the girl, attempting to assert his dominance. It didn't quite work as well as he had hoped as she simply smiled, closing her hands off to him once more.

"You want to get something to eat?" The sounds of footsteps scattering in all directions caught his attention and he realized he was moving away from the campus. Perfect. It was just what he wanted. Seeing as the events were playing in his favor, he curled up, making himself comfortable until he reached his next destination.

The girl's fingers parted, revealing her face a second time. He barely gave her his attention, instead seeming to be staring at nothing as he maintained the shape of a small ball of fur, his wiggling nose, the only sign that he was even still conscious.

"You're really kind of sweet, aren't you?" Her hands flourished, giving him the perfect opportunity to escape. It was the ultimate sign of trust. Amaimon finally looked up at her, garnering another smile. "Thanks for being so cooperative. Anything you like to eat in particular? Granola? Sunflower seeds? ...Alfalfa? Sorry. I've never had a hamster before, so I don't really know what you guys can eat." Amaimon could eat anything he so pleased, but he knew what he wanted: something sweet. The problem was attaining it. If she was really taking him to to get food, she would be the perfect vehicle to find that. In one fluid motion, he scurried out of her palms and up her sleeve, perching proudly on her shoulder, causing her to freeze in surprise. She was his vassal now and she would serve her king as needed.

Her head twisted towards Amaimon slowly like a second hand on a clock, unsure of herself as she eyed the hamster on her shoulder, standing proudly on its hind legs. She found its behavior unusual and a tad frightening, warming up to her so easily, but she didn't question it. Seeing as how agreeable he was, it would be a simple matter to find him something to snack on before, and if, she returned the little rodent to his office prison. Her mind was just as unsure as she wondered how she would explain to the headmaster how she had come across the hamster. There would be no way he would believe he just ran straight into her hands. She sighed, hoping it didn't mean the end of her high school career.

Amaimon's beady eyes scanned the streets as they passed building after building, though the majority of shops were nothing more than florists or salons. He was soon surprised to see that they had arrived at the train station, the girl coming to a stop at the edge of the dock.

"There's not much in the way of pet stores around here, so you'll have to bare with it a bit."

He had no idea where they were actually going nor did he care, but remained patient in spite of that. Out of frustration he had begun to gnaw on the collar of her shirt and was soon bumped on the nose with a sudden fingertip.

"Hey, quit that! My clothes aren't food! Think you can hang on just a _little_ longer?" He huffed before curling back up in a ball.

Amaimon had drifted off into a light sleep to curtail his hunger and awoke some time later, feeling slightly more agitated than he had started out. His ears twisted and twitched as he scanned his current surroundings. The loud clacks and screeches of the train against the rail mixed with the bustle of voices and hushed tones on the train, and he spied the sight of several more high schoolers, all staring back at him with smiles and looks of disbelief.

"Hey, he woke up."

"Aww, he's so cute!"

"He kinda looks like the one in the headmaster's office."

"That's cause he is," the girl whispered, to which she received several shocked gasps in reply.

"Did you steal him?!"

"No! He was running away!"

"Why didn't you take him back?"

Why _wasn't_ she taking him back? She frowned, looking down at her lap where her pale hands intertwined with themselves. Amaimon looked at her curiously, not understanding her reasoning nor her motives, Not that it meant much anyway, humans were completely pointless to begin with. His head rose slightly when he heard a quiet whisper escape her.

"He's cute."

What did cute have to do with anything? He was Amaimon and his will to eat was absolute. Of course she would do as he commanded and find him food, even if it was a bit troublesome. A slew of quiet giggles arose from across the aisle at her response and she blushed, looking away in shame. Mephisto had mentioned that Japanese girls had a deep love of all things "kawaii." By all accounts, he certainly fit that bill in that moment. He looked down at his furry body, wondering what was so appealing about small rodents? Maybe it was their tiny fragile claws, or their cold, remorseless eyes, or their disgusting, gluttonous appetites- now that he thought about it, hamsters were the perfect creatures. He would begin recommending them to all his goblin kin. He was surprised to hear the disembodied voice of a woman interject his thoughts as the train came to a stop and he steeled himself as his new human retainer got to her feet, pulling her bookbag onto her shoulder. She exited through the large throng of passengers as they pushed through the open doors and she smiled, checking the signs.

"Almost there." Almost where, exactly? He was a bit further out than he usually went but it still felt unfamiliar to him. He typically followed the crowd in order to learn more about Japan, but this place was particularly quiet. She sprinted towards the wide stairwell, leaving the safety of the train station. The sight that awaited him was very demure and peaceful. The streets were mostly dirt roads, the homes old fashioned, and the view of the sea was all around. It was a small prefecture, no doubt hidden away due to the lack of tourism. Amaimon found it to be really boring, but if there was food here, then it didn't really matter. The girl turned down a rather cluttered alleyway, filled with clotheslines and stray cats which eyed the hamster warily. She reached down to pet one only for its ears to flatten suddenly as it backed away, retreating in fear.

"Huh. I wonder what that was all about." She cast a glance at Amaimon who sat quietly upon her shoulder. She found the uneasy feeling she had gotten earlier harder to shake then as she exited the opposite end of the alleyway, an entire new row of houses greeting her on the other side. The girl picked one, rushing up to the side and quickly pulled off her shoes, exchanging them for slippers as she slipped inside. She dropped them at the door where they fell flat to a stop with a dull clap and she shut the sliding door behind her before seeking out the kitchen.

"Kaasan, I'm home!"

"You're home early." The older woman was deeply involved in her work of washing the dishes and neither looked up nor offered any formal greeting whatsoever.

"Classes ended early today for some reason. Looked like most of the teachers were pretty busy. It's just been a strange day in general."

"Strange, huh? A lot happened? There's been a few oddities here as we- Orihime!" Amaimon froze as the accusing hand of the girl's mother sent a barrage of soap suds and water flying towards them. Amaimon scrambled to stay perched as the girl, apparently named Orihime, took a quick bow.

"Sorry! It's not what it looks like! I only need to feed him! I promise it's only temporary!"

"You know how I feel about rats!"

"It's not a rat, it's a hamster!"

"What's wrong with it? It's an unusual color..."

"Really? He looks normal to me. Maybe he's dirty," Orihime gingerly plucked the hamster from her shoulder, examining him. Amaimon stared back with his beady eyes and she frowned, finding him to be even more unsettling than before. Though he appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary hamster, she couldn't shake the feeling he was anything but.

"Dirty, my foot. That thing's cursed or something. You should put it back where you found it," her mother wagged a finger in warning at her as Orihime turned away, making her way to her room.

"Don't be so superstitious! He'll be gone by the end of the day." With that, she was gone.

Moving to her tiny room, she shoved past her rickety door that refused to budge more than a few inches and she dropped hard onto the tatami mat before allowing Amaimon his freedom. In the corner on her desk was a large cage where a black and white rabbit sat staring at him from afar. Its brown eyes affixed to him and he stared back, sending the lop-eared animal into a small frenzy.

"Hey! What's the big deal?! You act like you've seen a ghost or something!" She groaned, getting to her feet and popped open the cage, the rabbit pressing itself to the back and refusing to taken out. Orihime sighed and gave up, closing the door once more. "Sheesh, what is going on with all the animals in town today? It's like it's Go Berserk on Orihime Day. Oh, right! I totally forgot about your food! Sorry!" She dashed from the room without another word, leaving the thoroughly frightened pet with the Earth King.

On the inside, Amaimon felt a sense of satisfaction. Though he was still unable to change back, his influence and power over the weak species of Assiah were returning to him and he reveled in that fact until the heavy footfalls of Orihime caused him to look up. A barrage of small bottles and bags careened to the floor along with a number of colorful objects. Amaimon perked at the treasure and dashed over to examine everything, unsure of what to mess with first. She laughed as she sat down more gently now, watching him with a smile.

"I got some sunflower seeds and some fruit from the kitchen-hey! That's mine!" Amaimon had punctured the foil of a small bottle of Yakult, chugging the beverage without a care. It was pleasantly sweet and he found himself wanting more by the second. He casually tossed away the empty bottle, pulling another one over. Orihime watched the hamster with furrowed brows and lied down on her stomach to watch him.

"Just what _are_ you, anyway? I thought you were just a cute, hungry, little hamster, but the longer I keep you, the more I second guess myself. Even Okaasan noticed how unusual you are." She paused, her eyes narrowing at the Earth King as he chugged his third bottle of Yakult. "Are you the one scaring all the animals away?"

Amaimon stopped at that, the now empty bottle of Yakult falling from his tiny hands as he turned back to stare at her. Even with his ominous disposition, he maintained a slightly cute demeanor, his fur covered in yogurt. She warily allowed herself to laugh at that as he attempted to clean his face.

"I'm being stupid, right? You don't talk. Right." She sat up with a sigh, grabbing her clock from a nearby table and checked the time. "Guess I'll get a bigger snack before we leave." Orihime grabbed the remaining bottles of Yakult and returned to the kitchen.

Her mother was carefully tending to the rice in the rice cooker, looking over her shoulder as Orihime dragged her way to the fridge, putting some bottles back.

"Why so sullen? You're not actually regretting bringing that rat home, are you?" She laughed before turning back to the stove.

"N-No! He's just... kind of weird. He definitely belongs at school.

"Oh? Why the sudden change of heart? I figured you'd hold him captive for a while longer."

"Probably not a good idea. Keiko hates him and practically climbed the walls of her cage just to get away; that, and he practically drank all my yakult."

"Eh? Say what?! That stuff's expensive around here!" Her mother's expression softened, her eyes carrying a look of worry. "You know, they say animals can sense things that we can't. They're more in touch with the spirits than we are."

"Spirits? Right," Orihime nodded, stabbing the foil of one of the remaining bottles and taking a drink.

"Deny it all you like, but that's bad mojo!" Orihime scoffed at that, giving her mother a smile.

"I get it mom. You're always talking about stuff like that. If it means that much to you, I'll take him back." Orihime guzzled the last of the tiny bottle, tossing the empty container into the bin. Her mother smiled, sighing softly.

"I just don't want you getting into trouble," she chuckled, placing her hands on her hips. Orihime faked a pout but then smiled again before going back to her room to pack up.

* * *

><p>Orihime had only managed to push herself halfway through her doorway before she was struck dumb with fear at the sight of an unusual male crouching brazenly on her desk. In one of his grotesquely clawed hands was Keiko, held by the scruff of her neck as she hung in fear. Her paws were curled close to her body and she emitted the faintest of whines. He simply stared at the rabbit with a dull expression, his head tilted to the side, almost as if he were were examining it.<p>

"You're kind of pathetic, you know." Amaimon looked over, spotting the girl who was stuck between the wall and sliding door. "Oh. You're back. Your rabbit was giving me a funny look so I was thinking about killing it, but I guess I'll put it back." He carefully dropped the rabbit into its cage, taken aback as it quickly recovered and darted to the end that was farthest from him. He gave off an almost non-existent smile that was tinged with a hint of malice before turning back to face Orihime and he hopped to the floor, making his way over to her.

Whether or not she was aware of it, her body had begun to shake and the sliding door rattled in its frame against her. The sound had apparently brought Orihime back to reality and she began to struggle against it, attempting to get out. By the time she was able to shake free, a firm hand snatched her wrist, pulling her cleanly back through the narrow opening and she stumbled back into her room. Orihime shook off her dizziness and the warmth coming from her arm forced her to look over at the bored looking demon who still held her by the wrist, the only thing standing between her and collapsing to the floor.

Out of instinct, she shrieked, snatching her arm away and to her surprise it broke free of his grip to which he merely replied with lowering his own arm.

"Who are you what are you where'd you come from what do you want from me what are you going to do to me?"

"Do humans always ask this many questions at once?"

"Oh god you're the hamster aren't you my mom was right why didn't I listeeeeeen." She ended her breakdown with a whimper that threatened to become crying but Amaimon simply stared at her, baffled.

"I'm Amaimon, the Earth King. It's nice to meet you." His tone told her he felt indifferent, however.

"Earth...King?"

"Do you have any more of that yogurt stuff? I've never had anything like it before."

"I never woke up this morning, right? This is a dream," she slapped her face with her hands a few times, hoping the pain would wake her.

Amaimon had altogether lost interest in the True Cross student and contemplated going into the kitchen to find the Yakult himself but weighed the pros and cons of dealing with her mother. The appeal of free yogurt was a definite pro, but an already suspicious human was a con. The thought of an oversized fly swatter flattening him into submission if he were caught came to mind and he slowly shook it off, remarking to himself that he was spending too much time with his big brother. Only Mephisto could produce such strange punishments. Still, the temptation was great and he eventually rationalized using the girl to his advantage.

"Bring me more of that yogurt drink and I'll let you live."

"What," she froze, her hands in mid slap.

"I really only want something tasty and I like that yogurt drink of yours, so bring me more and I promise I won't kill you."

The way he spoke told her who or whatever he was, he did this often. Whether or not he actually existed, she didn't dare upset him. She'd seen the American horror films where a horrible killer invaded teenager's dreams and brutally murdered them in their sleep. Her own life meant little to her when she thought of her mother. Her body became numb at the thought of losing her mother to this so called king of earth, and whatever sense of preservation that welled up within her made her back out of the room, her arm bumping against the door on the way out.

Orihime flinched, rubbing the spot as she mechanically made her way to the kitchen and her eyes met the disapproving gaze of her mother as she entered the room.

"What's up with you? What was the screaming all about? Did that rat of yours get into something?"

"S-Something like that. I-I just bumped my arm is all."

"Tsk. Is that damn door stuck again? I keep telling your father it needs sanding, but he never listens to me! Oh, dinner will be ready in a few minutes so- Hey! Are you listening? If you keep drinking that stuff you'll lose your appetite! We're having your favorite tonight, grilled unagi. Orihime?"

She had barely registered her mother's words as she departed, her arms full of the remaining Yakult and she navigated back to her room, hoping her rabbit wasn't the first of his victims. To her relief, the rabbit remained in its cage, huddled in the same far corner with its same glazed eyes of fright, and Amaimon sat patiently in the middle of her room, staring straight ahead with a tired looking expression. He slowly looked up at her, his expression gaining some life when he caught sight of the yogurt in her arms.

"Good. How many are there? One, two, three..." he counted the drinks as she allowed the bottles to tumble to the floor and she watched Amaimon with disbelief. He seemed like such a child. The way he dressed gave her the impression he simply wore whatever caught his interest. He lined each bottle up next to each other as he counted them off one by one and actually smiled once he was done. It was a frightful smile, that expression people got just before they did something horrible and she felt what little warmth she had leave her body.

"There's eight bottles. I think I'll start with," his clawed finger hovered over the assemblage before settling on a bottle somewhere in the middle. "this one."

Orihime sunk to the floor, her legs crumpling beneath her as she watched him stab his long nail into the top of the bottle, piercing the foil, and he quickly swept it up, allowing the liquid to pour into his wide open mouth haphazardly.

"Want one?" He waved another bottle at her in offering, and it took her a moment to realize he was even talking to her as she had been trying to process just when he had picked it up. She quickly shook her head no at him, attempting to mimic her rabbit in moving as far from him as possible. Just as she had managed to move close to the wall, the sudden hand in her face made her jump and she stared for a hard while at what was in it. It was the bag of fruit slices she had left behind. Amaimon waved it at her like the bottle of yogurt.

"It's "healthy," right? You should eat something, too."

"Okaasan is making dinner. It'll be ready soon." Amaimon's dreary smile returned at that and she shrunk back. Though he was curious about what they were having, he knew better than to go and see for himself.

"Bring me some," he commanded, and she complied.

Orihime nodded and got up, a bit more independently this time. She slid past the door almost perfectly as she darted back to the kitchen and she quickly bowed, obscuring her nerve-wracked expression behind her hair.

"May I eat in my room, please?"

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden? First you ignore me and now you want to eat in your room. Are you hiding something from me?"

She launched upwards in protest, "No! Of course not! I just want to look after the hamster. Keep him out of trouble, you know?" Her eyes shifted to the left with her little white lie. It wasn't entirely untrue. She didn't want to know what would happen if she disobeyed.

"Well," her mother paused, contemplating her decision. She hadn't yet finished what she was going to say before she finally began scooping rice into a bowl. "I'll let you eat in your room just this once." Orihime smiled, thankful she didn't pry any further. She watched impatiently as she carefully layered the bowl with the salty fish and the smell of her favorite meal briefly erased any feelings of fear and anxiousness she had. She carefully took the bowl from her mother as she turned back to her, the two exchanging smiles as Orihime bowed, a little more politely this time.

"Arigatou, Okaasan!" She then departed, marching back to her room.

It didn't take long for the feeling of hopelessness to return as she remembered it wouldn't be her eating it and she sighed, wedging herself between the doors again.

Amaimon was lying on his stomach this time, his legs kicking back and forth as he popped the previously discarded sunflower seeds into his mouth one at a time, expertly spitting the shells out one after another. He had already devoured the fruit and its empty crumpled wrapper was tossed lazily to the side. She grimaced at the mess he was making and almost decided against even giving him the bowl. Amaimon snapped to attention once he noticed her and stretched out flat, his hands making grabbing motions at her like a toddler.

Orihime found herself smiling at that against her will as she carefully handed him the bowl and he stared at the contents with the same bored look as usual.

"I've never had this before," he sat up, taking the chopsticks that lied across the bowl into his hands and recited a childish "Itadakimasu" before quickly taking a bite.

The look on his face was something Orihime hadn't thought he was capable of producing and she stared in wonder as he continued shoveling bite after bite into his mouth. It was something between a genuine smile and a look of scrutiny, his eyes seeming to scan a nonexistent palate.

"It needs something though," his eyes wandered around her room before they narrowed onto the last two remaining bottles of Yakult and he stabbed the foil with a chopstick before dumping the yogurt into his bowl. Orihime nearly had a heart attack when she saw the yogurt make contact with the rice and she held her hands over her mouth in shock.

"What are you doing?! That's disgusting!"

"It's good," he simply stated. The bowl was nearly empty when she heard her mother's voice coming down the hall.

"I'm coming in. I hope you have all your laundry together."

"Oh! Uh, just a minute! Gimme a sec!" She scrambled to her hands and knees in a panic, unsure of what to do. Would he kill her mother on sight if she walked in? The both of them? The sound of the door rattling as her mother attempted to enter made her squeeze her eyes shut and she awaited whatever horrible fate she was destined to.

"Oh, it looks like he made a mess. Where is that little rat anyway?"

Those words brought Orihime back to reality as she looked at the empty spot before her where the earth king had been sitting. There, before her was her open window, and all the proof that remained of his existence was an empty bowl, an excess of sunflower shells and a single bottle of yogurt. She felt both a sense of relief and despair.

"He got out."


End file.
